


Nightmare

by kristsune



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Aziraphale Loves Crowley (Good Omens), Crowley Just Wants To Be Loved (Good Omens), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, aziraphale just wants to comfort and protect crowley, crowley has nightmares and aziraphale just wants to help, i love that that is a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-23 06:23:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20003746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kristsune/pseuds/kristsune
Summary: Crowley has a nightmare filled with fire, and Aziraphale finds out how to comfort him.





	Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little thing I needed to write because I am an absolute sucker for hurt/comfort. Especially after nightmares. Vaguely inspired from [this lovely post](https://kristsune.tumblr.com/post/186353010684/dvnsart-requested-angst)  
> Thank you again to the ever wonderful [Jesse](https://thebisexualmandalorian.tumblr.com/) for their encouragement <3

Crowly was dreaming. Well, to be more specific, he was having a nightmare. Something he learned to recognize. This one he was… well, maybe not  _ used _ to, but familiar with anyway. 

Everything was on fire. He was burning, flames engulfing him, surrounding him, suffocating him. White hot flames consuming all that he had been, leaving something different in its wake; remaking him into something darker. He never meant to fall, but he seemed destined to relive that moment of transformation over, and over, and over again. It was  _ wretched _ , but he had dealt with it for so long, it was at least moderately tolerable. 

But then everything…  _ shifted _ in the only way dreams could. Now he was back in the burning bookshop. All of Aziraphale’s precious, rare,  _ cherished _ books on fire all around him. And the panic and utter  _ despair _ that he had felt then, hit him full force in the chest. Believing that Hell had come and used hellfire on the bookshop, that Aziraphale was not just dicorporeated, but gone,  _ dead _ , and unable to come back. It felt worse than anything he had  _ ever _ experienced while actually in Hell. 

The nightmare shifted again and instead of the bookshop burning, it was _Aziraphale_. Burning like he would have if he had actually gone to judgement in Heaven. Burning as if Fallen. Burning in a way he never deserved. What made it _so much_ _worse_ was that Crowley couldn’t do a damn thing about it. He was forced to just stand there and watch his Angel _burn_. 

Aziraphale turned to him and called his name. Begging him for help, to save him, to make it all stop. Crowley just kept shouting his name, apologizing, desperately wanting to reach out and pull him out of the flames but he _still_ _couldn’t_ _move_. 

“Crowley? Crowley, dear, are you alright?”

Crowley bolted upright in his bed, gasping for breath, feeling tears on his cheeks. He knew those were bodily functions that he technically didn’t need to engage in, but he also couldn’t have stopped them if he tried. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt pressure on his back. 

“Oh dear, I’m sorry. What’s the matter, Crowley?” Aziraphale had removed his hand when Crowley jumped, and was now wringing them together in obvious distress. Even through Crowley’s panic he could see how much his angel wanted to help, but didn’t know what to do. “Please, just tell me what you need.”

Normally Crowley hated to show any type of vulnerability, had actually gotten  _ really _ good at keeping it hidden after some six thousand years. But here? Now? After the failed apocalypse, after he and Aziraphale had finally -  _ finally _ \- admitted their feelings, Crowley didn’t have to hold back. He didn’t have to hide anymore. He also didn’t have his voice yet, so he just leaned in close, tucking his face into the crook of Aziraphale’s neck. Aziraphale recognized the proper response to that immediately, and wrapped his arms around him, one hand rubbing soothing circles on his back. 

Crowley wrapped his arms around Aziraphale, holding tight, as he took deep, shuddering breaths; Aziraphale’s familiar scent, and touch grounding him.

After a few minutes Crowley found enough of his voice, to whisper harshly, words raw and muffled against Aziraphale skin, “Just… talk to me, Angel. Please.” 

“Of course, my dear.” Aziraphale rested his cheek against Crowley’s hair as he gently started talking about nothing in particular. Which was  _ exactly _ what Crowley needed. Listening to Aziraphale’s soft voice rolling over him, feeling his pulse where he was pressed against his neck, the gentle rise and fall of his chest, all cemented the fact that he was awake, his worst nightmare hadn’t happened. Aziraphale was  _ alive _ , unharmed, and still loved him. 

Crowley wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but eventually he felt like he had the strength to move. He leaned back just enough to look at Aziraphale in the eye, without releasing his hold. Aziraphale reached up and cupped Crowley’s jaw, wiping away his tears with his thumbs.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Aziraphale’s voice was so gentle and understanding, saying whether or not Crowley wanted to talk, he wouldn’t judge him. He would support him regardless of his answer. Crowley almost started crying again, he was so overwhelmed with love from, and for his Angel.

“They took you from me, you were burning, and I couldn’t do  _ anything _ , Angel.” Crowley took a shuddering breath, “I had to watch you  _ burn _ .” 

Aziraphale’s whole face softened and pulled Crowley close again, leaving a soft kiss on his snake tattoo, “Oh  _ Crowley _ . I’m  _ here _ . I’m not going anywhere. Nothing can take us from each other. Not anymore. I promise.”

“How? How can you promise that?” It’s not that Crowley didn’t  _ believe _ him, but he absolutely didn’t trust Heaven or Hell to come after them. To try and get revenge for how they contributed to the derailment the apocalypse. 

“Because I Won’t Let Them.” Crowley shivered, he heard every one of those capital letters, a hint True Voice creeping in. His Angel was admittedly soft, but there was angelic-forged steel underneath that Aziraphale knew exactly when and how to wield when needed. And Crowley was comforted by that. He  _ believed _ Aziraphale, trusted him implicitly. He knew Aziraphale would protect them, and everything they had gained from each other. 

Crowley nodded, and Aziraphale leaned back against his customary pile of pillows. He didn’t sleep nearly as often as Crowley did, but loved being with him. So he pulled Crowley into his nest, gently running his fingers through Crowley’s hair, immediately helping him relax even more. Crowley knew he wasn’t going to sleep any time soon, but as he curled around his Angel, comforted by his solid, warm presence, last wisps of his nightmare fading to the back of his mind, Crowley was content. 

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to stop by and say hi on [tumblr!](https://kristsune.tumblr.com/)


End file.
